As Barack Obama begins to assess his potential picks for his cabinet,
Secretary of Education is not one of the positions you would necessarily
expect him to focus on first. But
American parents especially may wish to study up on the possible candidates. After
all, if Obama's campaign proposals are to be fulfilled, Margaret Spellings'
successor could oversee a dramatic $18 billion overhaul of the nation's
public education system over the next few years.

Whoever gets the spot, Obama's new Ed chief should expect to face a huge
test right off in the contentious reauthorization of the federal No
Child Left Behind act, considered to be one of the first priorities in
Congress come January. Down the road, he or she can also plan to direct
the founding of hundreds of new charter schools and the spread of universal
pre-K nationwide, as well as a continued focus on increased accountability and a better trained teacher corps.

So whom will President-Elect Obama tap for this enormous task? That
announcement isn't expected until at least early next week. But here's a
look at some of the presumed contenders.

JOEL KLEIN

Current position: New York City schools chancellor

Why he could be tapped: In New York, the former Clinton appointee has
distinguished himself as a keen reformer under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. An
attorney by training, Klein has also shown himself adept at working with
unlikely partners  union leaders as well as the Rev. Al Sharpton  and is a major proponent of charter schools, a keystone in Obama's education agenda.

Why the job will go to someone else: With Bloomberg recently getting the OK
to seek a third term as mayor, Klein may prefer to stay put and finish the job
of reforming New York's 1,500 schools.

LINDA DARLING-HAMMOND

Current position: Top Obama education adviser

Why she could be tapped: Her day job is professor of education
at Stanford, but for the past year, she has been a key voice defining
Obama's positions on issues such as school restructuring, teacher quality and
educational equity.

Why the job will go to someone else: Darling-Hammond is not popular among
education reformers, particularly those to the center-right. That's because her views on issues such as merit pay vs. teacher tenure are more conventional than even Obama's. So if the President-elect really wants to shake things up on the education front, Darling-Hammond won't likely be his choice.

ARNE DUNCAN

Current position: CEO of Chicago Public Schools

Why he could be tapped: Like Klein in New York, Duncan has made a name for
himself as a reformer in a big city, accomplishments candidate Obama
highlighted several times on the campaign trail. He's also a close friend
and basketball buddy of the President-elect. And unlike Darling-Hammond,
Duncan could represent a more neutral selection.

Why the job will go to someone else: A Duncan nod could risk upsetting
Chicago mayor Richard Daley, a vocal advocate of the Chicago schools' chief.

JAMES HUNT, JR.

Current position: Former governor of North Carolina

Why he could be tapped: As governor, Hunt focused attention on one of
Obama's key schools proposals: expanding early childhood education, especially to low-income and minority children. He also worked hard to improve teacher
quality, testing innovations in this area of perpetual struggle for American
schools. On the federal level, he recently served on Spellings' Commission
on the Future of Higher Education.

Why the job will go to someone else: Hunt has not been especially outspoken
on how to expand charter schools and other alternatives to traditional public
schools, which appears to be a priority for the Obama team.

JANET NAPOLITANO

Current position: Arizona's governor

Why she could be tapped: Once considered a contender for Obama's VP slot,
Napolitano has signed legislation boosting elementary education in her
state, including an initiative to guarantee full-day kindergarten throughout
Arizona. She also co-chaired a panel called Renewing Our Schools, Securing Our
Future, which in 2005 recommended a $325 billion increase in federal education
spending over 10 years.

Why the job will go to someone else: Term limits prohibit Napolitano from
running for governor again in 2010, making her a potential  and
popular  candidate to vie for Arizona Sen. John McCain's seat in that year's
election. She has also been mentioned as a possible pick for Attorney
General in the Obama administration.

Why he could be tapped: Since leaving the State Dept. in 2004, Gen. Powell
and his wife Alma founded America's Promise Alliance, a group dedicated to
improving the well-being of the country's young people. The non-profit has
been especially strong on finding a means to combat the country's dropout
crisis. Plus, Powell made a high-profile endorsement of Obama in the final
weeks of the campaign.

Why the job will go to someone else: On the day after Obama's Nov. 4
victory, Powell told reporters that he has not been asked nor does he plan to return to government service, preferring to instead leave the new Cabinet open to a younger generation.